Violent and often deadly incidents, including so-called “active shooter” incidents, are of great concern to many people. Ensuring the safety of the people in buildings in which such incidents may occur is critical, especially when such incidents occur in schools.
The common response to such incidents is for occupants of the building to “shelter-in-place,” that is to remain in their rooms/offices, close the door, turn off the light, and wait for help to arrive. Occupants are instructed to lock their doors, however many classrooms and offices do not have locks on their doors. Retrofitting doors to add locks can be difficult and expensive, and such locks are often easily breached.